Bobbin creel

ABSTRACT

A walk-in and a walk-through bobbin creel which comprises bobbin creel units each having U-shaped frames providing a structrue of vertical members on each side and each member supports sets of a pair of bullhorn bobbin spool supports completely around the Ushaped frame. The take-off for the ends of the yarns is toward one respective end or the other on each side and thence to a plurality of plastic tubes contained in a bundle across the top of the frame.

United States Patent [191 Franks .[451 Feb. 26, 1974 BOBBIN cREEL [76] Inventor: Aud J. Franks, Rt. 1, Rocky Face,

Ga. 30740 f v [22] Filed: Apr. 17, .1972

[21] Appl. N0.: 244,835

[52] US. Cl. 242/131 51 mm. B65h 49/02, D02h 1/00, D03j 5/08 [58] FieldofSearch 242/131,l31.l;28/32 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,275,850 8/1918 Colman ..242'/l3l.l' 3,452,947 7/1969 Thurman 242/131 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 536,897 4/1955. Belgium 242/131 Primary Examiner-Leonard D. Christian Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Patrick F. Henry [57] ABSTRACT A walk-in and a walk-through bobbin creel which comprises bobbin creel units each having U-shaped framesproviding a structrue of Vertical members on each side and each member supports sets of a pair of bullhorn bobbin spool supports completely around the U-shaped frame. The take-off for the ends of the yarns 'is toward one-respective end or the other on each side and thence to a plurality of plastic tubes contained in a bundle across the top of the frame.

13 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BOBBIN CREEL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A porting aplurality of spools of yarn packages for delivery to the same machine.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art includes many typesof yarn and bobbin creels. The present creel has a particular use in the carpet industryfor directing a plurality of carpet yarn through plastic tubes to a' tufting machine because there are so many yarn ends feeding from one creel. Earlier creels used inthe carpet industry included upright posts with horizontal runner bars on which vertical cone holders were mounted. The yarn take-off was first vertical, then horizontal through thread guides, and the yarn had to be threaded through guides at each cross member throughout the length of the creel. Many creels are this basic design. Another creel design employed tubing to conduct the yarn from the package to the machine and the yarn cone from the yarn packages were held in a nearly horizontal position to feed the yarns therefrom. It is quite common to use the bullhorn or bicycle handlebar type brackets each supporting one package on one end and the common arrangement was to convey the yarns to a. take-off point near the aisle. Bobbin creels which are designed to put a lot of yarn packages (bobbins) in a small space are very hard to service and require a great deal of reaching in and reaching around and while they provide more yarn packages (bobbins) inless space there is a big problem of how to service these without crawling and bending around into many different awkward timeconsuming and tiring positions. n the otherha nd, bobbin creels which are designed mainly from the standpoint of service and easy reach take up a great deal of space around the machines in the mill and do not provide very many packages-of yarn 'for the amount of spaced used. There is a demand in many mills, particularly in carpet tufting plants, for a bobbin creel which provides a very usable number of yarn packages in the space but at the same time is easyto service' "SUMMARY or TH E INVENTION The bobbin creel is arcuate in construction and is made from several arcuate frames which extend from one side across the top and then down the other side providing what might be considered a grape arbor or bower arrangement. The handlebar or bullhorn yarn supports are arranged on each side in the middle-of the structure and extend all the way from the bottom across the top and down the other side and both ends of the frame are completely free of any bobbin supports. The yarns are led in a converging direction from each bullhorn or handlebar to that'respective side on one end or the other and theninto plastic tubing across the top of the bobbin creel. This arrangement .provides a very accessible walk-through enclosure with bobbins in the middle on both sides easily accessible by one man.

An object of this invention is to provide an open bobbin creel with bobbins supported on both sides in the middle and the top thereof.

Another advantage of this bobbin creel is in the simplicity of construction which may be a basic metal frame from three-U-shaped frame members mounted on horizontal mount supports with the metal frame member being tubing on which is welded the bullhorn bobbin spool supports.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of a typical bobbin creel made in accordance withthis invention.

, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 22 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 in FIG. 1. 1

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A bobbin creel designated generally by reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1 is, as mentioned previously, an enclosure, which could be 6 feet high and 3 /2 feet wide,

through which one may walk from one endto theother and the yarn packages or bobbins are located in the- A center U-shaped frame 26 (which, for example, can be 1 inch tubing) is constructed from pipe or other tubular material and hasthe lower end 28 welded approximately in the middle'of the length of the ground support members'20. A plurality of handlebar-type or bullhorn-type yarn package or bobbin support assemblies 32 are welded with the open centers 34 around the frame 26 and there are a. plurality of these all the way up one side on one side of the frame 26 and across the top and down the otherside from approximately just abovethe floor surface 36 across the upper part of the U-shaped frame 26.

U-shaped frames 12, 14 have a plurality of holes 38 therein each having the open end of a plastic tube 40 inserted thereto to receive the yarn or yarn end 44 from a yarn package 46 which is mounted on the shaft 48 of the bullhorn assembly 32. The end 42 of tube 40 projects into the hole 38 in frames l2, 14. Theyarn packages 46 are held in place by the usual retainer 50 mounted on the bullhorn assembly 32 and facing toward the end with the U-shaped frame member 14 or led to the U-shaped member 14 and thence conducted thru the tube 40 which collects in a bundle through the U-shaped supports 24 on the top of frame 14 and thence across a U-shaped support 24 on top of frame 26 and U-shaped support 24 on top of frame 12. Those yarn-packages 46 and the ends thereof 44 which are facing in a direction toward the other end at the U- shaped frame member 12 and a tubing from'the frame member 12 is collected from each'hole 38 into a bundle supported in the U-shaped support 24 on top of frame member 12. This arrangement keeps the multiplicity of a considerable number of the yarn ends 44 directed along the sides of the respective sides of the bobbin creel l and leaves an open passageway from one end at the U-shaped frame member 12 to the other end of the U-shaped frame member 14 for servicing the yarn packages 46 which is done by one man walking and standing in a normal position without having to reach in or reach through or climb'around in any awkward and difficult positions.

As seen in FIG. 2, while the shafts 48 have a slight angle of inclination A (less than from the horizontal the yarnends 44 travel without intersection to the respective U-shaped frame and leave plenty of space and opening for service and for correction of any broken yarn ends or any other problems which may arise.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention in the form ofa preferred example this is by way of illustration only since there are various alterations, changes, deviations, eliminations, additions. omissions, revisions, anddepartures which may be made in the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of my invention as defined by the appended Claims.

I claim:

1. In a bobbin creel:

a. a bobbin creel structure open from opposite ends and comprising side frame members and top frame members extending thereacross defining a passageway from one end thereof to the other,

b. yarn package supports mounted on each side of said frame intermediate the length thereof and removably supporting yarn packages, there being yarn packages on each support having the continuous yarns therefrom led to one end of the frame on the same side without the yarn crossing said passageway,

c. .a plurality of yarn conducting guides on said frame having the entrances thereto on a respective side to receive the end of a yarn therein,

d. said yarn guides extending from the point where each respective guide picks up its yarn thence to the top of the structure without crossing the passageway. I c. said yarn guides being flexible conduits such as plastic tubing having the entrance thereto on the structure. said flexible conduits extending in a bundle across the top frame members of said structure shaped and said top frame members being arcuate from one side to the other.

3. The device in claim 2: there being yarn package supports spaced from the bottom to top on each side.

4. The device in claim 3; each yarn support comprising at least two member extending in opposite directions toward one end and each supporting a yarn package having the yarn therefrom directed toward a respective end of the structure.

5. The device in claim 3: there being a pair of yarn supports. directed toward opposite ends of the creel.

6. The device in claim 3: said yarn package supports comprising a pair of U-shaped members each supporting a yarn package, the U-shaped members on each side being directed toward one end and extending in a direction to cause said yarn from the yarn package thereon to converge at that end on one side.

7. The device in claim 1:,there being an entrance for yarn at each of the opposite ends near each corner of said frame and said yarns extending to a respective endv on its side without crossing the passageway of the yarn on the other end. l

8. The device in claim 1: said structure being U shaped and said top frame members being arcuate from one side to the other.

9. The device in claim 8: there being yarn package supports spaced from the bottom to top on each side.

10. The device in claim 9: each yarn support comprising at least two members extending in opposite directions toward one of the opposite ends and each supporting a yarn package having the yarn therefrom directed toward a respective end of the structure.

11. The device in claim 10: there being yarn supports directed toward each of the opposite ends.

12. The device in claim l'l: said yarn package supports comprising a pair of U-shaped members each supporting a yarn package, the U-shaped members on each side being directed toward one end and extending in a direction to cause said yarn from the yarn package thereon to converge at said one end on one side.

13. The device in claim. 12: there being an entrance for yarn at respective opposite ends near each corner of said frame and said yarns extending to a respective end on one side without crossing the passageway or the yarn. 

1. In a bobbin creel: a. a bobbin creel structure open from opposite ends and comprising side frame members and top frame members extending thereacross defining a passageway from one end thereof to the other, b. yarn package supports mounted on each side of said frame intermediate the length thereof and removably supporting yarn packages, there being yarn packages on each support having the continuous yarns therefrom led to one end of the frame on the same side without the yarn crossing said passageway, c. a plurality of yarn conducting guides on said frame having the entrances thereto on a respective side to receive the end of a yarn therein, d. said yarn guides extending from the point where each respective guide picks up its yarn thence to the top of the structure without crossing the passageway, e. said yarn guides being flexible conduits such as plastic tubing having the entrance thereto on the structure, f. said flexible conduits extending in a bundle across the top frame members of said structure.
 2. The device in claim 1: said structure being U-shaped and said top frame members being arcuate from one side to the other.
 3. The device in claim 2: there being yarn package supports spaced from the bottom to top on each side.
 4. The device in claim 3: each yarn support comprising at least two member extending in opposite directions toward one end and each supporting a yarn package having the yarn therefrom directed toward a respective end of the structure.
 5. The device in claim 3: there being a pair of yarn supports directed toward opposite ends of the creel.
 6. The device in claim 3: said yarn package supports comprising a pair of U-shaped members each supporting a yarn package, the U-shaped members on each side being directed toward one end and extending in a direction to cause said yarn from the yarn package thereon to converge at that end on one side.
 7. The device in claim 1: there being an entrance for yarn at each of the opposite ends near each corner of said frame and said yarns extending to a respective end on its side without crossing the passageway of the yarn on the other end.
 8. The device in claim 1: said structure being U-shaped and said top frame members being arcuate from one side to the other.
 9. The device in claim 8: there being yarn package supports spaced from the bottom to top on each side.
 10. The device in claim 9: each yarn support comprising at least two members extending in opposite directions toward one of the opposite ends and each supporting a yarn package having the yarn therefrom directed toward a respective end of the structure.
 11. The device in claim 10: there being yarn supports directed toward each of the opposite ends.
 12. The device in claim 11: said yarn package supports comprising a pair of U-shaped members each supporting a yarn package, the U-shaped members on each side being directed toward one end and extending in a direction to cause said yarn from the yarn package thereon to converge at said one end on one side.
 13. The device in claim 12: there being an entrance for yarn at respective opposite ends near each corner of said frame and said yarns extending to a respective end on one side without crossing the passageway or the yarn. 